Australia: Autumn Glow approaching rare company ahead of Queen Elizabeth
The way Autumn Glow is collecting wins in Australia, the filly is drawing comparisons to some of the country’s greatest recent runners.
Autumn Glow has won all 11 of her starts and was 2-5 on Wednesday to win Saturday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/4 miles against males at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
The $3.52 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes was won from 2017-19 by Winx, Australia’s Horse of the Year for four consecutive seasons from 2015-16 to 2018-19. Winx won 37 of 43 starts, including her last 33 races.
A win by Autumn Glow on Saturday would lead to further comparisons between the two.
Autumn Glow has won three Group 1 races this year, and the $6.55 million Golden Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds last November, a race that is not rated as group level.
Chris Waller trains Autumn Glow and trained Winx.
The Queen Elizabeth distance is about the only unknown element of Autumn Glow’s chances. She has yet to race beyond a mile.
Autumn Glow, who will be ridden by James McDonald, has won three times this year, including Grade 1 races in her last two starts – the Veery Elleegant Stakes at a mile on Feb. 28 at Randwick and the George Ryder Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens.
In both wins, Autumn Glow closed from the middle of the field to lead in the final furlong, suggesting a longer trip is within reach.
Aeliana and Sir Delius, second and third in the Veery Elleegant Stakes, are part of a field of eight in the Queen Elizabeth as is Dubai Honour, a British shipper who won the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was second last year to Via Sistina, losing by 1 3/4 lengths.
Dubai Honour has started once this year in Australia, finishing a game second to Aeliana in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on March 28 at Rosehill Gardens.
Between the Veery Elleegant Stakes and Tancred Stakes, Aeliana won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on March 21 at Rosehill Gardens. In most years, such a campaign would make Aelian the favorite in the Queen Elizabeth.
The presence of Autumn Glow prevents that.
Post time for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes is 2:35 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, or 11:35 p.m. Pacific on Friday.
There are four Group 1 races at Randwick on Saturday.
Pride of Jenni, the 2023-24 Horse of the Year in Australia, is part of a field of 13 in the Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile. She faces two formidable rivals in Lady Shenandoah, who was fourth in the George Ryder, and Treasurethe Moment, a four-time Group 1 winner in the last 18 months.
Ohope Wins, who won the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks in February, will be favored in the Group 1 Australian Oaks at 1 1/2 miles in a field of 12.
The day’s longest race is the Group Sydney Cup at two miles, which drew 16, including Campaldino and probable favorite Mr Monaco.
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